Loader bucket and grapple apparatus



April 11, 1961 J. R. BRxssoN 2,979,215

LOADER BUCKET AND GRAPPLE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1N V EN TOR.

JUHN R. ERJSSUN MAL/Mmm April 11, 1961 .1. R. BRlssoN LOADER BUCKET AND GRAPPLE APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1957 INVENTOR. JUHN E. BRJSSUN April 11, 1961 J. R. BRlssoN 2,979,215

LOADER BUCKET AND GRAPPLE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

4 JUHN R. BRJSSUN M/MLM April 11, 1961 J. R. BRlssoN 2,979,215

LOADER BUCKET AND GRAPPLE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19, 1957 @sheets-sheet 4 INVENT OR. JUHN R. BRJSSUN BY mlm-tm United States Patent() 2,979,215 LOADER BUCKET AND GRAPPLE APPARATUS John R. Brisson, Norway, Mich., assignor to Lodal Inc., Norway, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 19, 19157, Ser. No. 703,964 8 Claims. (Cl. 214-73) This invention' relates generally to material loaders. More particularly the invention relates to an improved bucket land grapple and their control means.

One ofthe problems in loaders of the general type to which this invention pertains is in the lack of eilcient and complete loading of the bucket. In conventional practice, whether loading from a large stock pile or la small pile on a hard surface, the pile of material is pushed ahead by the bucket until the latter has been partially filled. However, with this pushing action, it is almost impossible to load the bucket to capacity. Furthermore, this loading must often be done in cramped quarters where a limited amount of room is available in which to manipulate the loader, for example, in municipal street operations where parked cars or other obstacles are present.

When loading from a stock pile of material, the clamshell type of bucket is perhaps more desirable for ellicient loading. When loading a small pile from a hard surface however, a scraping action is often more desirable.

In some loading devices it is possible to forward load, this is, to -load lanother vehicle by dumping or tilting the load in a forward direction. For this purpose a long reach of booms is very desirable to obtain suilcient height and lateral reach. Y

Other loading devices are of the sel-f load typein which the loader dumps backwardly into a container carried on the loader power unit.

In accordance with the present invention, a loader has been provided which can both forward load and self load, thereby permitting efficient userof all available equipment.

The invention also provides a loading bucket that can easily and completely ill-l itself. The bucket contemplated by this infvention is highly versatile in operation, functioning either as a clamshell, backhoe or scraper.

A tiltable loading bucket is provided which has a scraping edge and also movable grapple edge. By means of this structure and by novel hydraulic controls, the Atwo edges can be so co-ordinated so as to very effectively shift and load a pile of material within a restricted area.

The invention provides a loading bucket that has a particularly eflicient loading action and which can beoperated to perform a multiplicity of material handling movements by means of a single control lever.

rIhese and other objects and advantages |will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which: V v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loader made in accordance with the invention and showing it in a material crowding or scraping position; ,y l v Figure 2 is a perspective view showing both the grapple edge and bucket edge on the ground and moving towards one another Vin clamshell fashion;

Figure` 3*.isja perspective view-.taken generally from the front of they bucketandshowing it in theisubstantially closed position; Y t K Y Figure 4 is a perspective view yshowing the -loader being used to load 4from a stock pile;

2,979,215 Patented Apr. 11, 1961-y Figure 5 is a side elevational View showing the loader in full lines in a position where the weight yis on the grap-y ple edge and the device is operating in a back-hoe mannerl to form a trench or the like, and showing the loader in broken lines in the front loading, rearward moving and self-loading positions; and

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the hydrauliclcircuit'for this loader, showing the control valve in section.r

Referring more specifically 10 has a material carrying body 11 at its rear end. A loader frame 12 is rigidly attached to the vehicle and includes an upright member 13 at each side thereof. Av

telescoping hydraulic boom l14 is pivotally mounted to the lower end of each of members 13 and extends forwardly at each side of the vehicle. A radius rod 15 is pivotally attached at its rear end to the upper end of each member 13 and is pivotally attached .at its other end to the forward portion of the boom 14 as at 16 (Figures 2 .and 4). For

a more complete description of the loader frame, ifv

deemed necessary, reference may behad to my co-pending U.S. application entitled, Loader Apparatus, Serial Number 703,822, filed December 19, 1957. It is'believed sullicient to say 4for purposes of this disclosure, however,l

that a trunnion 17 is welded across the front end of each boom and serves as a mounting bearing for various implement Iframes attachable thereto as required. A slotted bracket 18 is also welded adjacent the front end of the boom which receives a torque arm of what ever implement frame is attached in the trunnions 17. In the illustration shown, the rear end portion 19 of frame member- 20 forms this torque arm. By this means the bucket frame is held rigidly with respect to the loader frame but can be easily removed therefrom by withdrawing the mounting pins 21 and moving the bucket frame outof the brackets Y18.

A stop member 22 is welded to each boom and serves to abut against a complementary stop 22a located on the body 111 and thus limit the swinging movement of they loader.

The loader frame is elevationally positionable byl ex-Y tension or contraction of the telescoping booms 14 by means of pressure fluid which is admitted to or exhaustedk from the cylinders 23 via conduit 23a. The pressure fluid is directed to the interior of the cylinders 23 via conduit-A 23a which is in iluid communication with the interior of cross tube 23d (Fig. 4). Tube 23d is at each end in communication with the interior of pistons 23e which then discharge the pressure lluid from their outer ends into the cylinders 23. The operation is such that the loader lever 23b (Fig. 6) mounted in the vehicle cab shifts the valve element 23e of the loader valve to the raise positions in which pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinders thereby extending the booms. In the lower position the valve element permits fluid to return to the sump 5 from. the cylinders, lowering the loader by gravity. In the hold position fluid is locked in the cylinders and the Y bucket is held in any desired position.

The bucket 24 has pins 25 on which it is pivotally mounted on the front end of arms 20. v prises a rear wall 26, side walls 27, 28 and a bottom 29. Plates 27a and 28a are rigidly secured to sides 27, 28, respectively, and may be considered an integral part thereof. Along the front edge of bottom 29 is an abrathat figure or held in any intermediate position. YA sheet to the drawings, a vehicle The bucket comsteel shroud 35 is welded along its front edges to the sides 27, 28 to protect the hydraulic units 32 and their conduits.

A grapple 36 is pivotally mounted by its cross shaft 37 on the ends of side plates 27a, 28a. Trunnions 3S welded on the plates 27a, 28a form a support for oscillation of shaft 37 therein. A collar 39 is held by cotter key 40 on each end of the shaft 37 and holds the grapple captive on the bucket.

A stub shaft 42 is secured to each grapple side plate 43, 44 and extends outwardly therefrom. The shafts 42 are spaced from shaft 37 and gussets 45 are welded to shaft 37, shafts 42 and side plates 43, 44 to firmly secure the stub shafts on the grapple.

The grapple also includes a front side 46 and an inclined bottom side 47 which terminates in an abrasion steel cutting edge 48.

A pair of double acting fluid motors t) are provided for forcibly swinging the grapple relative to the bucket between open and closed positions. The pistons 51 of these hydraulic servo-mechanisms 50 are pivotally attached to the stub shafts 42. Their cylinders 52 are pivotally attached to the bucket as at 53.

The hydraulic circuit is shown schematically in Figure 6, but only one of each of the hydraulic units 32 and 56 have been shown for the sake of clarity. The duplicates of units 32 and 50 would be similarly connected between conduits 68 and 64, respectively, and line 83. ln Figure 6, the grapple cylinder unit 50 is shown in the grapple closed position, and the bucket cylinder unit 32 is shown in the bucket closed position.

A control valve 55 is mounted on the bucket frame (Figures 2 and 4) `and automatically balances the flow between cylinder units 32 and 5G as will appear. Pressure uid is furnished to the valve S5 by the hydraulic pump 56 which is mounted on a power-take-off shaft (not shown) of the vehicle. The output of the pump varies directly with the speed of the vehicle engine and the operator controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the valve by the throttle of the vehicle engine. In other words, as the engine speed is increased, the volume of fiuid to the valve increases.

The valve body 58 has an inlet opening 6) to which fluid pressure is supplied by the pump 56 via the conduit 61. A cross bore 62 connects the inlet 6i) with the conduits 63 and 64 leading to the head end of cylinders 52. A large bore 65 and a smaller coaxial bore 66 place the inlet 60 and cross bore 62 in communication with the cross bore 67. A conduit 63 and 69 connect the cross bore 67 with the rod ends of cylinders 32. A valve '7G is reciprocally mounted within the bore 65 `and has an inclined surface 7l adapted to sealingly seat against the shoulder 72 which is formed between bores, 65 and 66. A spring 73 urges the valve to the left as viewed in Figure 6 to the seated position. A bore 74 is in the valve 70 and a small counterbore 7S places it in communication with the cross bore 62. A check ball 76 is seated against the shoulder formed by bores 74 and 75 and is resiliently held in that position by the spring 77. Spring 77, however, is only of nominal strength and ball 76 acts simply as a one-way check valve. A small orice 78 places the bore 74 in communication with the cross bore 67. A system relief means is provided in the form of an adjustable screw 79 in the end of the valve for adjusting the pressure of the spring 73 to determine the pressure at which the valve surface 7i will unseat to provide relief for the pressure in the cylinders. In other words, the valve seat 71 remains seated during normal operation and is cracked only upon excessive pressure in the cylinders.

Operation A single lever 80 in the control cab is manually shifted to move its associated valve element 80a to an open, neutral or close position. When the lever is in the neu- -tral position, no flow of pressure uid occurs, and the parts of the loader are locked in position.

When the lever is shifted to the close position as shown in Figure 6, fluid is admitted via conduit 61 to conduits 63, 64 and then to the head end of the cylinders 52. Fluid is simultaneously returned to the sump from the other end of the cylinders via lines 82, 83. As a result the piston rods 51 are extended, causing the grapple to close with full system pressure. At the same time, some of the oil goes through the ball check valve 76, orifice 78 and via lines 63, 69 to the rod end of cylinders 32. Because of the relatively small size of orifice 78 as compared to bore 62, a much greater proportion of oil goes to the grapple cylinders 52. The oil going through the orifice 78 and conduits 68, 69 causes the uid motors 32 to contract, moving the bucket to the closed" or upright position. The amount of oil that is diverted to cylinders 32 is determined by the size of orifice 78. if it is desired to send even a greater proportion of oil Ato the grapple cylinder, the operator simply boosts the output of the pump by stepping on the throttle thereby flooding the control valve. As a result the grapple moves much faster than the bucket. This situation is desirable when the operator is clamshell loading from a stock pile.

Under other circumstances, the grapple is open and the bucket is upright. The bucket is then forced forwardly into the material by the crowding thrust of the truck acting through the booms. When the `bucket is substantially lled, the operator wants the grapple to bite deep into the pile and pull the material into the bucket, and at the same time, keep the -bucket relatively upright. The loading action of the grapple jaw pulls the material into the bucket, completely filling the bucket and holding the material therein as the bucket is raised by the loader.

When clean up loading from a hard surface, however, it is more desirable to have a co-ordinated action between grapple closing and bucket closing movements. To accomplish this desired balance between the relatively moving parts, a lower volume of oil is furnished to the control valve. For example, assume the loader is in the position shown in Figure 2 and the pile M is on a hard surface, such as a paved street. If the pile is immediately next to a parked car, it may be difficult to pick up the pile without first crowding part of it under the car or perhaps bumping the car with the loader. ln that case the operator would raise the bucket edge 30 off of the pavement by moving the lever 8() to open, and stepping on the throttle slightly to thereby cause the pump to deliver oil via conduit 83. As the grapple cylinder unit 50 is already contracted and the grapple open, this fluid pressure builds up in the rod end of the cylinder 32 and causes the main valve 71 to open. This permits fluid to escape from the rod end of cylinder 32 to the tank via line 61. This causes the motors 32 to extend further, lifting the bucket edge 30 off the pavement-the weight of the loader then resting on grapple edge 48. With the bucket edge 30 off the pavement the operator can back the vehicle away from the obstaclethe grapple edge 48 which is resting on the pavement acts to drag the material away from the obstacle to an open area where it can readily be picked up. By elevating the edge 30, no damage to the bucket or concrete will occur by the edge 30 being pulled into the pavement, and simply dragging the edge 48 over the concrete will cause no damage. When the material has been moved a sufficient amount to clear the obstacle, the edge 30 is then lowered to the concrete (Figure 2) by moving the lever 80 to closed and by depressing the throttle only slightly to cause a small volume of pump flow. At this stage, an accurately balanced fluid ow to the grapple cylinders and cylinders is desirable in order that the movement of edges 48 and 30 will be co-ordinated so as to hold the edges on the concrete and yet move them toward one another. The

action of the valve is such that the grapple edge 48V extend cylinder units 50 and close the grappleV and also to the rod end of the bucket cylinder 32 to move the' bucket to the upright position.

Thus the first phase of va hard surface loading operation is where the load of the entire unit is on the edge 48 `and bucket edge 30 is off the pavement. When the material has been moved away from the obstacle a sufficient amount, the bucket cylinder unit 32 would be contracted slightly so that the bucket edge also rests on the surface. The third phase would be where the edges 48 and 30 are closing towards one another, the edge 48 moving the faster. During this closing operation, both edges must be kept in contact with the ground, and this the operator is able to do by regulating the throttle accordingly so as to prevent excessive flow to the cylinders 52 which cause the closing arc of the grapple edge 48 to lift the bucket edge 30 oi of the pavement, since the bucket must be returning to closed at a proportionate speed as regulated by the limited amount of fiowage that can .be gained through orice 78 to the end of cylinder 32- With the present arrangement, various working positions of the bucket and grapple may be employed to most effectively carry out the loading operations. For example, suppose the operator wishes to set the bucket and grapple at the position shown in Figure 1 With the bucket flat and the grapple open. The operator moves lever80 to open and pressure fluid then iiows via conduits 83, 82' directly to the rod end of cylinders 52, causing them to contract and thus opening the grapple jaw. Fluid pressure is prevented from entering theA head end of cylinders 32 and thereby extending them to tilt the bucket, because the valve element 70 and its seat 71 prevent fluid, below a predetermined pressure, from flowing out of the rod end of cylinders 32. If the operator wants to hold the bucket in this flat position, he simply releases the control lever 80 to its hold or neutral position just as the grapple reaches the fully open position.

If the operator does not release the bucket lever 80 but instead continues to hold it in the open position, iiuid pressure in conduits 83 and 82 will build up causing a corresponding pressurein conduit 69. The plunger valve 70 then unseats, dumping the fluid in the rod end of cylinders 32 to the reservoir 5 and permitting the cylinders 32 4to extend thereby tilting the bucket. When the bucket is fully tilted forwardly, its cutting edge 30 will be about 16 inches off the ground and the grapple edge is then used to back drag anymaterial on the ground. This is lalso the position of the bucket and grapple when the entire loader is held high in the air in the forward loading position.

In addition to this forward loading position of the bucket to load other vehicles, the bucket may be kept in a fully closed position, as shown by the rear broken line view in Figure 5, swung over the loader vehicle itself where the load can be dumped rearwardly into the truck body 11.

An extremely versatile and flexible bucket arrangement is thus provided which can act as a scraper to crowd a pile as shown in Figure 1, or asa clam shovel as shown by the full lines in Figure 5.

On a hard surface the grapple edge can -be used by itself to drag the load away from an obstacle and then the bucket and grapple movement can be co-ordinated to pick up a load from a hard surface.

When loading from a stock pile as shown in Figure 4,

the grapple can be opened and the bucket tilted fully 6 forward and the'loader then dropped on the stockpile.; The operator then reverses the single lever and the grap-iA ple closes and the bucket pulls back, or the operatory can load from such a stock pile by opening the grapple and keeping the bucket upright and crowding into the pile and then filling the bucket with the grapple.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims Y particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

. 1.. A self-filling material loader comprising, a vertically positionable support frame, a transversely elongated bucket pivotally mounted on a transverse and normally horizontalaxis on said frame and having a scraping edge along its lower side, said bucket being normally disposed 4in an. upright position on said frame and adapted for forward pivotal movement therefrom, a first power means between said Iframe and said bucket for tilting the latter, a grapple pivotally mounted on a normally upper front portion of said lbucket and on an axis parallel to the first said axis, said grapple having a cutting edge swingable between a closed position adjacent said scraping edge and an open position, a second power means between said bucket and grapple for swinging the latter between said positions, a power source common to both said power means, and control means interconnecting said first and second power means and preferential to actuation of said second power means whereby said shovel may be maintained substantially in a selected position during actuation of said grapple.

2. The construction of claim l and means to adjust said control means to vary said preferential actuation.

3. A self-filling material loader comprising, a supportA frame adapted to be vertically positioned, a bucket pivotally mounted on said frame and having a scraping edge alongits lower side, a first fluid motor between said frame and said bucket for tilting the latter, a grapple pivotally mounted on said bucket and having a cutting edge, said grapple adapted to swing between open and closed positions relative to said bucket, a second fluid motor between said bucket and grapple for swinging the latter between said positions, a pump for Vsupplying pressure iiuid to said motors, and control means between said pump and said motors for automatically delaying actuation of said first motor during initial actuation of said second motor.

4. A self-filling material loader comprising, a support frame adapted to be vertically positioned, a bucket pivotally mounted on said frame and having a scraping edge along its lower side, a first iiuid motor between said frame and said bucket for tilting the latter, a grapple pivotally mounted on said bucket and having a cutting edge, said grapple adapted to swing between open and closedpositions relative Vto said bucket, a second fluid', motor between said bucket and grapple for swinging the latter between said positions, a variable volume pumpV for supplying pressure fluid to said motors, and control means between said pump and said `motors for automatically initially diverting more oil to said second motor than to said first motor, the flow differential diverted by said control means increasing as the output volume of said pump increases.

5. A self-filling material loader comprising, a vertically positionable support frame, a bucket pivotally mounted on said frame and having a scraping edge along its lower side, a first fluid motor between said frame and said bucket for tilting the latter, a grapple pivotally mounted on said bucket and having a cutting edge, said grapple adapted to swing between open and closed positions relative to said bucket, a second fluid motor between said bucket and grapple for swinging the latter between said positions, a pump for supplying pressure fluid to said motors; and a control valve including, a body having an inlet port in tuid receiving communication with said pump, said second uid motor in direct uid communication with said pump via said inlet port, a ow restricting orifice in said valve between said first fluid motor and said inlet port whereby pressure uid supplied by said pump is automatically initially diverted in greater volume to said second fluid motor than to said first motor to effect a delay in actuation of said first motor during initial actuation of said second motor.

6. A self falling material loader comprising, a support frame secured to said loader and adapted to be vertically positioned, a bucket normally disposed in an upright position on said frame and mounted thereon for forward pivotal movement from said normal position, said bucket having a cutting edge on its lower surface and acting as a scraper when disposed in its normal position, first power means connected between said frame and said bucket for pivoting the latter, a grapple pivotally mounted on the upper front portion of said bucket and having a cutting edge on its lower surface, said grapple adapted to pivot between open and closed positions relative to said bucket, second power means connected between said bucket and said grapple for pivoting the latter, said grapple in its open position being adapted to extend arcuately downwardly into material engaging position as said bucket is pivoted forwardly to act as a back-hoe as said bucket and grapple are retracted as a unit and when so positioned said grapple and bucket further acting as a clam shell as said grapple is moved to the closed position and said bucket is moved to its normal upright position,

and control means connected with said first and second power means and at all times preferential to actuation of said second power means for operating said bucket and grapple in scraper, back-hoe and clam shell selectively.

7. A self-filling material loader comprising, a support frame adapted to be vertically positioned; a bucket pivotally mounted on said frame and having a scraping edge along its lower side, said bucket being normally disposed in an upright position and being adapted to pivot forwardly therefrom; a grapple pivotally mounted on the upper front portion of said bucket and having a cutting edge, said grapple adapted to swing between open and closed positions relative to said bucket; a variable volume pump; an automatic control valve having a fluid inlet port connected to said pump, a first outlet port in direct communication with said inlet port, a second outlet port, and a shiftable spring biased valve between said inlet and second outlet ports whereby fluid in said second outlet port above a predetermined amount can return to said inlet port, said shiftable valve having an orifice between said first outlet port and said second outlet port whereby pressure uid supplied to said inlet port is automatically diverted in greater volume to said first outlet port than to said second outlet port; a first double acting motor connected between said grapple and said bucket for operating the grapple, said motor having one end thereof connected to said first outlet port and being adapted to close said grapple upon uid flow into said end from said first outlet port, and with said motor having its other end connected to said pump and being adapted to open said grapple upon uid ow to said end from said pump; a second double acting motor connected between said bucket and said frame for operating the bucket, said motor having one end thereof connected to said second outlet port and being adapted to move said bucket to its normal position upon fluid Illow into said end from said second outlet port, and with said motor having its other end connected to said pump and being adapted to move said bucket forwardly upon fluid iiow to said end from said pump; and a flow directing lever actuated valve for selectively diverting pump flow to said automatic control valve and to the other end of said motors.

8. In combination in a material loader of the class described adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle for selective forward load, self load, backhoe, clamshell and scraper operations; a vertically positionable support frame, an open top bucket pivotally mounted on said frame with a forward scraping bottom edge adjacent the bucket mounting, a grapple pivotally mounted on said bucket to close the front thereof and having a lower edge adapted to close with said scarping edge of said bucket for effective cooperation between said grapple and bucket in lifting material, the pivotal mounting for said grapple being substantially above the pivotal mounting for said bucket and providing a clamshell action therebetween in closing upon a load, power means between said bucket and said grapple to pivot the latter between an open and a closed position relative to the bucket, power means between said support frame and said bucket to pivot the latter between an upright forward scraping position and a forwardly tilted position in which latter said grapple is extended to open position for backhoe and for forward load operations, a common power source for actuating both said power means, and manual control means interconnecting said power rneans to effect actuation of said grapple substantially prior to actuation of said bucket for forward load, self load, backhoe, clamshell and scraper operations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,994,974 Wiedmann Mar. 19, 1935 2,328,715 Drott Sept. 7, 1943 2,457,039 Graves et al. Dec. 21, 1948 2,470,778 Lankowski May 24, 1949 2,585,297 Beuscher Feb. 12, 1952 2,586,623 Detrez Feb. 19, 1952 2,682,150 Ballinger June 29, 1954 2,737,196 Eames Mar. 6, 1956 2,768,760 Pilch Oct. 30, 1956 2,812,595 Drott Nov. 12, 1957 

